Rack



W. THOMAS Aug. 24, 1943.

RACK

Filed Oct. 13, 1941 di@ L V/@.L. l

OLV om v .VIIIIIIIL HVIIIIIIIL '1V/4 Patented Aug. 24, 1943l UNITED STATES PATENT @FFME RACK Willie Thcrrias9 Greenwood, Miss. Application October i3, 1941, Serial No. 414,844 4 comme. (ci zii- 74.)

This invention relates to racks for the convenient display and support of bottled merchandise and is especially adaptable for a store refrigerator in order that bottled goods may be kept at a cool temperature along with other perishable merchandise and be readily viewable to attract attention thereto and consequently promote sale thereof.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a device of the above stated character which may be readily adapted to a display refrigerator now in use and will accommodate a maximum number of bottled goods, such as milk, cream or the like and will permit the bottles to be conveniently removed when a person desires to make purchase thereof.

With these and other objects in' view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully-described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a rack constructed in accordance with my invention showing bottled merchandise supported thereby. l

Figure 2 is a top plan view illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating one of the clamps for detachably mounting the rack on a shelf of a refrigerator.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates an elongated supporting member which has a transverse curvature thereto adapting the member to slidably receive the bead 6 of the neck l of a conventional type of milk or cream bottle 8. The side edges of the member are curved outwardly and upwardly to form channeled flanges 9 to slidably support a bottle eX- tractor l0. It is preferable that the member 5 be constructed of sheet metal and to have a certain amount of flexibility in order that the sides of the member may expand and contract to accommodate beads of bottles that may vary slightly as to size.

By referring to Figure `3 it will be seen that the side portions of the member 5 snugly nt the bead of the bottle and engage tightly thereunder against the neck 'l preventing the bottle from slipping or gravitating outwardly of the supporting member 5i.

.An end wall ii is provided at one end of the supporting member to act as a stop for limiting the placing oi' a series of bottles in the supporting member in lined formation. The opposite end of the member 5 is fully opensc that the bottles may be slid one after another into the supporting member and removed in a like manner.

It is preferable that the supporting member d be constructed of telescopic sections so that the member may be adjusted as to length permitting the device to be readily adaptable to refrigerators of different sizes. A series of Openings l2 are provided in the sections ofthe supporting member, some of which receive bolts or like fasteners i3 to detachably secure thereon clamps ill including set screws l5. The' clamps id are employed for detachably mounting the supporting member on the shelf it of a refrigerator, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4. The supporting member when adapted to a shelf will be held against movement as to its sections relative to each other.

rthe supporting member being constructed of telescopic sections and equipped with the clamps it` will permit the supporting member to be applied to shelves varying as to size.

As shown in Figure 1 the supporting member is arranged under a shelf and is detachably secured thereto by the clamps so that a plurality of bottles may be supported in a depending position and in alignment with each other. Bottles thus supported within a display refrigerator will be readily viewable so as to attract attention and consequently promote sale of the contents of the bottles and further the bottles arranged in the manner specified will only require a limited space for the accommodation thereof within the refrigerator and will in no way interfere with the storing or placing of other merchandise of a perishable nature Within the refrigerator.

The bottle extractor l0 includes parallel rods I6' connected together by a member Il. The parallel rods I6 are slidably mounted Within the channeled portions 9 of the-supporting member with the connecting member I1 located at one end of the supporting member 5 so as to act as a. handle or hand grip to permit a person to readily slide the bottle extractor in either direction with respect to the supporting member 5. The parallel rods I6 have their opposite ends connected by a bottle-engaging portion I8 which is adapted to engage one of the end bottles at the neck slightly below the bead thereof, as clearbottle has its end portions offset and curved so as to clear the channeled portions 9 of the supporting member when the bottle extractor is slid in either direction with respect to the supporting member.

A device of the character described and shown in the drawing is easily applicable to any type of display refrigerator now used in stores and like places for the displaying and keeping cool of perishable merchandise and will accommodate a large number of bottles within a minimum or limited space so as not to unduly take up room within the refrigerator and still permit the bottles to be easily viewed and consequently attract the attention of prospective buyers. The construction of the device will permit one bottle at a time to lbe easily removed from the supporting member byv simply imparting an endwise movement to the bottle extractor in the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 1 and 2.

When the device is filled With bottles by each bottle being moved in an endwise direction from the open end of the supporting member toward the stop Il, the bottle extractor will be caused to slide endwise of the supporting member and assume a position as shown in Figure 2 ready to be operated in the extraction of one bottle at a time from the holder or as many bottles as may be desired by the purchaser.

While I have shown and described the pre-` ferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,

combination and arrangement of parts may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a rack for the support of bottles, an elon- I gate member transversely curved to provide opposed gripping portions to receive and grip necks of bottles placed within said member from one end thereof, said member having its edges curved outwardly to provide grooved anges, means for the mounting of said member within a. refrigerator, and a bottle removing means slidably supported by said anges to engage one of the end bottles mounted within said member.

2. In a rack for the support of bottles, an elongated member transversely curved to accommodate and grip necks of bottles placed therein and removed by way of an end of said member, astop wall at one end of said member, outwardly curved anges formed on said member, said member including telescopic sections, clamps adjustably connected to the sections and applicable to a portion of a refrigerator for supporting said member horizontally, and a bottle removing means slidably supported by said anges.

3. In a rack for the support of bottles, an elongated member transversely curved tol accommodate and grip necks of bottles placed therein and removed by Way of an end of said member, a stop wall at one end of said member, outwardly curved iianges formed on said member, said member including telescopic sections, clamps adjustably connected to the sections and applicable to a portion of a refrigerator for supporting said member horizontally, and a bottle removing means slidably supported by said flanges and engageable with one of the end bottles mounted within said member.

4. In a rack for the support of bottles, an elongated member transversely curved to accommodate and grip necks of bottles placed therein and removed by Way of an end of said member, a stop Wall at one end of said member, outwardly curved anges formed on'said member, a bottle extracting member including parallel members connected at one end by a member forming a hand grip and connected at the opposite end by a bottle engaging member and slidably supported by said anges, said bottle engaging member adapted to engage with an end bottle of a group of bottles supported by said member and having offsets to clear the flanges, and means for removably mounting said member within a refrigerator.

WILLIE THOMAS. 

